Dr M: Asia News Network's Person of the Year runner-up

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been named the Runner-up as the Asia News Network counts down its choice of Person of the Year on Dec 28.

Apart from Dr Mahathir, India's #MeToo movement is in the finalist list for their “courage in standing up for and inspiring women everywhere”, as are the two Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were arrested while working on a story on the killing of 10 Rohingya men and boys in Mynamar's Rakhine state.

“In each story we have covered, there have been individuals who have stood out either for their courage, conviction or influence. These people have stood their ground and maintained their dignity against overwhelming odds and pressure – and in doing so, made our region a better place,” ANN said.

The story in full:


It was perhaps the most stunning political upset of 2018. No one thought Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had served as Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003, could win the office again, especially competing as the chairman of Pakatan Harapan, a coalition of his former political foes.

But, win he did, at the age of 92.

He and his coalition have had a tough task before them. They took over at a time of shattered public confidence in Malaysia’s political system, thanks to a longstanding corruption scandal that went all the way to the top – to Dr Mahathir’s successor himself, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak – and a staggering level of national debt.

They had big promises to keep. Dr Mahathir and his coalition ran a campaign based on tackling that sky-high debt, eliminating rampant corruption and racism from Malaysian politics, and making tough institutional reforms.

But this time around, Dr Mahathir seems different. He appears to have left behind many of the autocratic tendencies that marked his previous tenure in the office, and to be embracing democratic institutions with new vigour.

It’s clear he’s determined to make the most of this chance to rewrite his legacy.

From the beginning, Dr Mahathir appeared unchained from the burden of national expectations for what his second premiership might look like.

His government has gone after his former party’s alleged corruption with zeal, prosecuting everyone from Najib to his wife and cronies.

No one seems more surprised by this than Najib who had been predicted to win the general election on May 9 with ease. Analysts and critics alike remarked how the Najib machine seemed unstoppable before the election, especially with their consolidation of power, altering media laws and gerrymandering to maintain power.

That Dr Mahathir won was a testament to the democracy and democratic institutions of Malaysia.

It is doubly important when placed in context of Malaysia’s neighbours where democracy has taken a backseat, especially in places like Thailand and Cambodia.

Dr Mahathir has appointed a surprisingly meritocratic and multiracial cabinet – he chose a non-Malay to serve as Attorney General and tapped Lim Guan Eng, an ethnic Chinese, as Finance Minister.

And, from the beginning, Dr Mahathir seemed unafraid to speak his mind, for better or worse.

Dr Mahathir told Singapore their water deal with Malaysia was simply “too costly”. He seems to be trying to rewrite the long-standing Asean rule of non-interference by repeatedly calling out Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi for the role she has played in the Rohingya crisis.

And, most earthshaking of all, Dr Mahathir has thus far been unafraid to stand up to China’s growing influence domestically and in the wider region. He has made it clear that while his government sees China as a powerful trading partner, China should no longer expect an unmitigated relationship with Malaysia.

He took a stand against Chinese-backed projects that he said do too little to add value to Malaysia, thus far suspending more than US$40bil (more than RM160bil) in Chinese infrastructure deals, including the US$20bil (RM80bil) East Coast Rail Link project deal that had been inked by Najib.

Dr Mahathir went to bat against powerful developers in a bid to prevent the growth of luxury foreigner-only enclaves unaffordable to many of his countrymen.

And he has been sharply critical of Chinese naval incursions into Malaysian waters.

No everyone sees Dr Mahathir’s willingness to upset the status quo as refreshing – his critics have found his candour thus far concerning.

His unpredictability makes it hard to tell what 2019 will have in store for the prime minister – will he even pass the baton to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim after his second year as promised?

Whatever happens, it will certainly be interesting to watch.

The Asia Network (ANN) is a coalition of 23 leading news organisations from across Asia, including The Star. The network covers a region of over two billion people across 21 countries.